Travel Village Group is celebrating a standout day at Riviera Travel’s 2026 Riv Awards, with success recognised at both group and individual business owner level.
Held on 26 March 2026 at Hotel Café Royal in London, the awards brought together Riviera Travel’s top-performing trade partners from across the UK to recognise excellence in river cruising and touring.
For the second consecutive year, RiverCruising.co.uk, part of Travel Village Group, was awarded Top Overall Online Travel Agency (OTA), reinforcing its position as one of Riviera Travel’s leading UK partners.
Adding to the celebrations, Wendy Haines Travel, run by Holiday Village business owner Wendy Haines, was named Top Agency, highlighting the strength and success of Travel Village Group’s nationwide community of independent travel experts.
Wendy, who was cruising in the Arctic Ocean at the time of the awards, had this to say on her win:
I am surprised and delighted! Thanks to Riviera Travel for supporting me, they’ve helped me grow my business – especially with my group bookings. I only recommend suppliers that I trust. They’re also local to me, and we have a great relationship. Lloyd [Morris] has to get a special thank you too – he is an amazing support.
Recognising the people behind the bookings
While the awards reflect strong commercial performance, Travel Village Group has placed a clear focus on recognising the people behind the results.
From business owners working directly with customers, to central support teams providing marketing, training and operational expertise, the group’s collaborative approach continues to drive success across its cruise and touring offering.
Holiday Village business owners, in particular, play a key role in delivering personalised service, often going above and beyond to support customers through every stage of their journey, from initial enquiry through to post-travel feedback.
Lewis Johnston, Travel Village Group’s Head of River Cruising, remarked:
Winning Top Overall Online Travel Agency for a second consecutive year is something we’re incredibly proud of. To be recognised once was a huge moment for us, but to retain the title really shows the consistency, dedication and expertise across our entire team.
Our partnership with Riviera Travel continues to go from strength to strength. Their product, their values and their focus on delivering exceptional experiences align perfectly with how we look after our customers. We’ve seen continued growth in guests choosing Riviera, and that is down to the confidence our team has in recommending them.
What makes this even more special is seeing one of our own Holiday Village business owners, Wendy Haines Travel, also recognised on the day. It reflects exactly what Travel Village Group is all about – supporting brilliant people to build successful travel businesses while delivering outstanding service to customers.
A long-standing partnership built on shared values
Travel Village Group has been working with Riviera Travel for over a decade, selling both river cruises and escorted tours across Europe and worldwide.
The partnership is built on shared values as family-run businesses, with both organisations placing strong emphasis on customer care, product quality and delivering memorable travel experiences.
Riviera Travel’s diverse and well-curated product range, combined with consistently high customer satisfaction, has made it a key partner across all Travel Village Group brands. Our Account Manager Lloyd had this to say:
I absolutely love working with the team at rivercruising.co.uk. They are a pleasure to work with and have built a strong reputation through their knowledge, commitment, and customer‑focused approach. This award as Top Overall Online Travel Agent is a well‑earned recognition of their hard work and ongoing success.
Continued growth in river cruise and touring demand
The double win comes during a period of sustained growth for river cruising and touring within Travel Village Group, with increasing numbers of customers choosing Riviera Travel for their holidays.
This growth reflects a wider trend in the market, with more travellers seeking culturally immersive, well-organised experiences that offer both value and reassurance.
Travel Village Group continues to invest in training, product knowledge and customer experience, ensuring its teams and business owners are well positioned to meet this demand with confidence and expertise.
Looking ahead
Following back-to-back success at the Riv Awards, Travel Village Group remains focused on strengthening its partnership with Riviera Travel and continuing to support its network of business owners.
With a strong foundation in place and growing demand for river cruising and touring holidays, the group is well positioned to build on this momentum throughout 2026 and beyond.
